Key-top for type-writers.



R..E.' BEAUBIEN. KEY TO? FOR TYPE WRITERS. APFUCATION man MAY 28. 1915.

v Eatented Nov. 7,1916.

' finger engaged surfaces of the keys.

STA

ROBERT E. IBEAUBIEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS KEY-TOP FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

Application filed May 28, 1915.

'0 all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, Roonn'r I). BEAUBIEN, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Key-Tops for Type- IVriters and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to digitally operated machines in which the different keys are distinguished by characters carried by the respective keys, such as typewriters, cash registers, or adding machines. In machines of this general class, it has heretofore been customary to imprint the respective characters upon, or otherwise athx them to, the

quently, these characters have been disposed upon the very portions of the keys which are subject to constant handling and wear. In practice, it usually does not take long for this handling to wear off the characters so as to render the latter illegible, unless a transparent cover is provided over the character on each ,key. Such a provision has not been found feasible with cushion keys made of soft rubber or the like, as it interferes with the desired cushioning action.

()ne object of my invention is that of pro viding keys with character-bearing elements disposed so as operator, but out of range of the fingers during the normal operation of the machine.

Further objects are to provide characterbearing elements which may be secured to the characters. on planes substantially at right angles to the operators line of vision which may readily be rotated with respect to the key head to transform the machine into a blind one for touch practice: and in which an accidental impact of a finger against one of the character-bearing elements will neither tendto lift the key ring off the key head nor injure the finger.

My invention may be embodied Specification. of Letters Patent.

Conseto be clearly visible to theing surface will be substantially with sub- Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

Serial No. 30,897.

stantially equal facility in constructions having the character-boaring elements integral with the finger-engaged elements, or separate from the latter, and these elements may be built in a variety of forms. For example, in the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section through anembodimont in which these parts are integral. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a form having separately molded cushion and character-bearing elements. Fig. i is a perspective view of the cha 'acter-bea ring element of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through a form having a series of character-bearing elements associated with a single key. Fig,

' heads by so-called key rings 5. In each case,

the key top is preferably made of soft rubber and preferably has its under side recessed to afi'ord air cushion spaces, although I do nr t wish to be limited to either the shapes or materials here describe In Figs. 1 and '2, the key top 3 consists of a vertical cylinder of soft rubber dished upon both its upper and lower faces and having intermediate its ends a peripheral groove adapted to receive the contracted upper end 4 of a key ring 5, which ring tightly fits the periphery of the key head 1. Integral with the upper end portion of the key top 3 and overhanging the upper end of the key ring is a tab 6 having a character 7 suitably displayed thereon. This tab preferably slopes downward from the key top.- so that its uppeizor character bearofv visionof the operator when the tab is turned Instead angles to the line of the typewriter toward the front of the machine.

of being integral with the key top, this-tabmay be separately molded, as shown in Fig. 4. in which case the key ring can secure both the key top 3 and the tab (3" simul-.

taneously to lhekey head. as shown in Fig. 3. Instead of being narrower than the key top. the legend-laalring tab'may be wider at right and may even run entirely around the key top in the shape of a downwardly sloping Petticoat 6, as in Figs. 5 and 6, in which case the character may be repeated on this petticoat-shaped tab. Or, the tab may slope upward from the back of the key top so as to be displayed behind the latter upon the machine, as in Fig. 7. However, I preferably use a downwardly sloping tab as the latter is less likely to be struck by fingers operating keys in other rows. I Moreover, by

rotating the key top of Figs. 1 and 2 within,

the key ring, the downwardly loping tab 6 may be practically concealed behind the body of the key head, thereby converting the typewriter into a blind writing machine for touch-operated speed practice. In any case, it will be obvious that since the character is displayed on a tab distinct from the finger-engaging surface 8, this character will not be Worn off, but will retain its legibility. Consequently, I am able to obtain prolonged legibility even from paint-imprinted key heads, instead of being obliged to go to the expense of having the characters inlaid in the rubber. However, they may be molded in the rubber and filled in, as in Fig. 7, as any irregularities in the tab surface will not be objectionable since it is not this but the dished surface 8 that is engaged by the finger tip. Being o'f a soft and yielding material like soft rubber, the tab will readily spring aside if accidentally struck by a finger, without injuring the latter, and will quickly resume its original position. However, I do not wish to be limitedto the use of soft rubber, nor to other details of the construction herein disclosed, since the same might be modified in many ways without departing from the spirit of my invention. However, I prefer a yielding material which will also atl'oi r a cushion bridging over the forward edge of the key ring, so as to c revent cont-act of the operators finger: with the ring on an adjacent key in case of over-striking the one intended to be depressed.

l claim as my invention:

1. A key top comprising a main lingerengagcd elastic element, a character-bearing elastic element disposed at an incline with respect to the finger-engaged surface of said main element, and a substantially rigid ring mounted on a key head and partially housing one of said elements and securing both thereof to said key head.

2; A key top comprising a main fingerengaged elastic element, a character-bearing elastic element disposed at an incline with respect to the finger-engaged surface of said main element, and a rigid ring partially housing one of said elements and securing both thereof to a key head ring and affording a cushion normally bridged over the forward edge of said ring;

'3. A key top comprising a main fingerengaged elastic element, a character-bearing elastic element disposed at an incline with respect to tl1efinger-engaged surface of said main element, and a ring non-rotatably mounted on a key head and partially housing at least one of said elements and securing both thereof tosaid key head, said elements being rotatable within the ring.

4. A key top comprising a finger-engaged cushion element having a peripheral groove, a substantially rigid clamping ring having a contracted upper end, portion entering said groove, said ring securing the cushion element to a-key' head, and a soft, resilient and character-bearing element integral with the cushion element and overhanging said ring for guarding the operators finger against direct contact with the forward edge of said ring.

5. 'A key top comprising a finger-engaged element, a ring partially housing said element and securing the same to a key head, a tab associated with said element and bridging over the forward end of said ring so as to present an inclined characterbearing surface normally in front of said element and substantially at right angles to the operators line of vision, said ring being non-rotatable upon the key head, said element being rotatable within the ring to bring the said surface into a position behind said element where the latter will substantially conceal the said surface.

nonnar BEAUBIEJ. 

